Creation of Universe

Age of Ignorance, Household of Muhammad, hypocrites

Shaqshaqiya (literally, "roar of the camel"), in which Alī lays out his claim to the caliphate and his superiority over his predecessors

His far-sightedness and his steadfastness in Islam

When Abbas and Abu Sufyan offered to pay allegiance to him for the caliphate after Muhammad''s death

On being advised not to chase Talha and Zubayr for fighting

The hypocrites

About Zubayr at a time for which it was appropriate

Cowardice of his enemies in the Battle of the Camel

Talha and Zubayr

When he gave the standard of the Battle of the Camel to his son Mohammad

When, after his victory in the Battle of the Camel, one of his comrades said, "I wish my brother had been present and he too would have seen what success and victory God had given you"

Condemning the people of Basra

Also in condemnation of the people of Basra

After resuming the land grants made by Uthman

Delivered when the people of Madina swore allegiance to him

About those who sit for dispensation of justice among people but are not fit for it

In disparagement of contradictory views among Muslim jurists

Treachery and hypocrisy of al-Ashath al-Kindi

Death and taking lessons from it

Advice to keep light in this world

About those who accused him of killing Uthman

Keeping aloof from envy, and good behavior towards kin

Exhorting people for jihad

When his men were overpowered by Muawiya''s men

People after Muhammad''s death, the settlement between Muawiya and Amr ibn al-As

The transient nature of this world and importance of the next world

About those who found pretexts at the time of jihad

In connection with Uthman''s killing

Before the Battle of the Camel, he sent Ibn Abbas to Zubayr to advise him back to obedience

Disparagement of the world and categories of people

At the time of setting for the Battle of the Camel

Exhorting people to fight against the people of Syria

After arbitration

Warning the people of Nahrawan of their fate

His steadfastness and precedence in Islam

In disparagement of those in doubt

In disparagement of those who shrink from fighting

In response to the slogan of Kharijites: "Judgment belongs to God alone"

In condemnation of treason

Heart''s desires and hopes

In response to a suggestion of war

When Masqala defected to Syria

The greatness of God and the lowliness of this world

When he decided to march towards Syria

Calamities befalling Kufa

At the time of marching towards Syria

God''s greatness and sublimity

Admixture of right and wrong

When his men were prevented from taking water from the River Euphrates

Reward and punishment in the next world

On the description of the Day of Sacrifice

On the swear of allegiance

When his men showed impatience on his delay in giving them permission to fight in Siffin

Steadiness on the battlefield

Muawiya swallows whatever he gets and craves for what he does not get

Addressing the Kharijites

When he was told that the Kharijites had crossed the bridge of Nahrawan

When he was told that the Kharijites had been totally annihilated

Do not fight the Kharijites after me!

When he was warned of being killed by deceit

Transience of this world

Decline and destruction of this world

Attributes of God

Ways of fighting

On hearing the account of what took place in Saqifah of Bani-Sa''ida

When Mohammad ibn Abi Bakr, governor of Egypt, was overpowered and killed

Admonishing his companions for careless behavior

In the morning of the day he was fatally struck with a sword

In condemnation of the people of Iraq

Praise for Muhammad

When Hasan and Husayn interceded on behalf of Marwan

When the elective committee (or shura) decided to swear allegiance to Uthman

When he learned that the Umayyads blamed him for killing Uthman

Preaching and counseling

Banu Umayyad

One of his supplications

Prophecy of astrologers

Shortcomings of women

Way of preaching and counseling

World and its people

Al-Gharra (literally, "the brilliant"), in which Ali enjoined people to piety

Amr ibn al-As

Perfection of God and counseling

Preparing for the hereafter by following God''s commandments

Faithful and unfaithful believers

Factions of community

Holy Prophet

God''s attributes and some advice

Al-Ashbaah (literally, "the skeletons"), in which Ali talked about the creation of the universe

When people decided to swear allegiance to him after the murder of Uthman

Annihilation of the Kharijites, mischief mongering of the Umayyads, vastness of his own knowledge

God''s praise and eulogy of the prophets

Age of Ignorance and Muhammad''s efforts to disseminate God''s message

In eulogy of Muhammad

Admonishing his companions

Oppression of the Umayyads

Abstinence of the world and vicissitudes of time

Muhammad and his descendants

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) كلم به طلحة و الزبير بعد بيعته بالخلافة وقد عتبا عليه من ترك مشورتهما والاستعانة في الأمور بهما

After swearing allegiance to Amīr al-mu’minīn, Ṭalḥah and az-Zubayr complained to him that he had not consulted them or sought their assistance in the affairs (of state). Amīr al-mu’minīn replied:

لَقَدْ نَقَمْتُما يَسِيراً، وَأَرْجَأْتُمَا كَثِيراً، أَلاَ تُخْبِرَانِي، أَيُّ شَيْء لَكُمَا فِيهِ حَقٌّ دَفَعْتُكُمَا عَنْهُ؟ وأَيُّ قَسْم اسْتَأْثَرْتُ عَلَيْكُمَا بِهِ؟ أَمْ أَيُّ حَقّ رَفَعَهُ إِلَيَّ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ضَعُفْتُ عَنْهُ، أَمْ جَهِلْتُهُ، أَمْ أَخْطَأْتُ بَابَهُ ؟!

Both of you frown over a small matter and leave aside big ones. Can you tell me of anything wherein you have a right of which I have deprived you or a share which was due to you and which I have held away from you, or any Muslim who has laid any claim before me and I have been unable to decide it or been ignorant of it, or committed a mistake about it?

وَاللهِ مَا كَانَتْ لِي فِي الْخِلاَفَةِ رَغْبَةٌ، وَلاَ فِي الْوِلاَيَةِ إِرْبَةٌ، وَلكِنَّكُمْ دَعَوْتُمُونِي إِلَيْهَا، وَحَمَلْتُمُونِي عَلَيْهَا، فَلَمَّا أَفْضَتْ إِلَيَّ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ وَمَا وَضَعَ لَنَا، وَأَمَرَنَا بِالْحُكْمِ بِهِ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ، وَمَا اسْتَسَنَّ النَّبِيُّ (صلى الله عليه وآله) فَاقْتَدَيْتُهُ، فَلَمْ أَحْتَجْ فِي ذلِكَ إِلَى رَأْيِكُمَا، وَلاَ رَأْيِ غَيْرِكُمَا، وَلاَ وَقَعَ حُكْمٌ جَهِلْتُهُ، فَأَسْتَشِيرَكُمَا وَإِخْوَانِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ; وَلَوْ كَانَ ذلِكَ لَمْ أَرْغَبْ عَنْكُمَا، وَلاَ عَنْ غَيْرِكُمَا.

By Allāh, I had no liking for the caliphate nor any interest in government, but you yourselves invited me to it and prepared me for it. When the caliphate came to me, I kept the Book of Allāh in my view and all that Allāh had put therein for us, and all that according to which He has commanded us to take decisions; and I followed it, and also acted on whatever the Prophet - may Allāh bless him and his descendants - had laid down as his sunnah. In this matter I did not need your advice or the advice of anyone else, nor has there been any order of which I was ignorant so that I ought to have consulted you or my Muslim brethren. If it were so I would not have turned away from you or from others.

وَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتُمَا مِنْ أَمْرِ الاْسْوَةِ، فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ أَمْرٌ لَمْ أَحْكُمْ أَنَا فِيهِ بِرَأْيِي، وَلاَ وَلِيتُهُ هَوىً مِنِّي، بَلْ وَجَدْتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتُما مَا جَاءَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ، فَلَمْ أَحْتَجْ إِلَيْكُمَا فِيَما قَدْ فَرَغَ اللهُ مِنْ قَسْمِهِ، وَأَمْضَى فِيهِ حُكْمَهُ، فَلَيْسَ لَكُمَا، وَاللهِ، عِنْدِي وَلاَ لِغَيْرِكُمَا فِي هذَا عُتْبَى. أَخَذَ اللهُ بِقُلُوبِنَا وَقُلُوبِكُمْ إِلَى الْحَقِّ، وَأَلْهَمَنَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ الصَّبْرَ.

As regards your reference to the question of equality (in distribution of shares from the Muslim common fund), this is a matter in which I have not taken a decision by my own opinion, nor have I done it by my caprice. But I found, and you too (must have) found, that whatever the Prophet - may Allāh bless him and his descendants - brought had been finalised. Therefore, I felt no need to turn towards you about a share which had been determined by Allāh and in which His verdict has been passed. By Allāh, in this matter, therefore, you two or anyone else can have no favour from me. May Allāh keep our hearts and your hearts in righteousness, and may He grant us and you endurance.

ثم قال (عليه السلام): ‏رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلًا رَأَى حَقّاً فَأَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ رَأَى جَوْراً فَرَدَّهُ وَكَانَ عَوْناً بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ.

Then Amīr al-mu’minīn added: May Allāh have mercy on the person who, when he sees the truth, supports it, when he sees the wrong, rejects it, and who helps the truth against him who is on the wrong.

Extrait de ses paroles adressées après sa nomination à Talhat et Zoubaïr qui le réprimandaient de les avoir éloignés des affaires publiques

Vous avez reproché un peu et différé la proclamation de votre blâme. Pouvez-vous me dire en quoi vous ai-je lésé dans vos droits? De quelle part qui revient à vous vous aije privé? Et quel droit dû à un musulman ai-je négligé ou ignoré ou délaissé?

Par Dieu, je n’avais ni envié ni demandé le califat et le gouvernement. Mais vous m’y aviez invité et poussé. Ayant accepté, je me suis référé au Livre de Dieu et à ce qu’il contient de préceptes relatifs au gouvernement; j’ai imité la Sounna du Prophète. C’est pour cela que je n’ai pas eu besoin ni de vos opinions, ni des conseils d’autres. D’autre part, il ne m’est arrivé aucun cas que j’ignorais pour demander votre conseil ou celui d’autres musulmans. Je ne vous aurais pas épargné dans le cas contraire.

Quant à la question de la division de l’argent des musulmans, que vous venez de citer, je ne l’ai pas abordée selon mon avis propre ou selon un caprice, mais j’ai suivi -et vous êtes d’accord avec moi- les directives de l’Envoyé de Dieu. La question étant résolue d’après les jugements de Dieu, je n’ai pas eu besoin de vos conseils. Vous ne devez pas, par Dieu, m’en vouloir, ni vous ni aucun autre. Que Dieu guide nos cœurs vers la vérité et qu’iI nous inspire la patience.

(Puis il dit:) Que Dieu ait pitié d’un homme qui voit un droit et aide à l’établir ou qui voit une injustice qu’il refuse. Qu’il soit, enfin, une aide à quiconque possède un droit

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 205